More Beads: One way of looking at it.

Here's a link to see various Excel files for More Beads which give some answers.

If you look at the formula in any cell you can see what's being calculated.

Click here for more about the Investigation Process.

In case you need to see more of the working for the 3562 beads I used in my example:

At the first person
bead sharer takes 1, leaving: 3561
one third of the beads is: 1187
that third is removed leaving: 2374

At the second person
bead sharer takes 1, leaving: 2373
one third of the beads is: 791
that third is removed leaving: 1582

At the third person
bead sharer takes 1, leaving: 1581
one third of the beads is: 527
that third is removed leaving: 1054

bead sharer takes 1, leaving: 1053
Then divides the remaining
beads into three equal amounts. 351